A YORK nursery has been branded “inadequate” by Ofsted in a report which raises concerns about children’s safety.

The report into Kaleidoscope’s Acomb nursery, in the grounds of Westfield Primary School, said it does not have robust systems firmly in place to keep children safe, well-protected and effectively safeguarded.

It revealed a delivery person was allowed unsupervised access for a short period of time to an area near unsupervised children, which potentially placed them at high risk and contravened company policies for visitors.

It also said a risk assessment in February identified a number of hazards in a bathroom used by children but when the Ofsted inspection was carried out on October 25, risks remained and had not been addressed.“For example, damage to the floor had not been attended to, presenting a possible trip hazard,” it said.

“Additional hazards, such as a potty containing urine and a carrier bag on the floor were evident, placing children at risk. Practitioners had failed to check this area to minimise risk and ensure provision of a safe place for children to use.”

The report also claims planning does not meet the learning needs of all children at the nursery, which has 175 children on roll and 27 staff working directly with the children.

It says practitioners do not use what they know about individual children’s needs to guide planning or ensure resources are readily available, and a series of measures are needed to ensure the nursery meets requirements.

However, the report does say practitioners have built warm and caring relationships with children, and children and babies are helped to feel secure and form firm attachments.

It says the “bright and welcoming provision benefits by lovely wall displays that are bright and interesting”, and there are comfortable sofas in all rooms to help children rest and relax.

Kaleidoscope said in a statement that it had fully recognised points made throughout the report and took the welfare, safeguarding and educational needs of its children very seriously.

“The nursery is cooperating fully and is working extremely closely with the local authority to rectify these points, including those highlighted previously, and an action plan has been formulated,” it said.

“The nursery met parents of the children following receipt of the draft Ofsted report to answer any questions they may have and is engaging them in all developments.

“It is important that we meet the Ofsted guidelines in those areas that have been highlighted, and that our good and outstanding achievements in other areas are mirrored.

“Kaleidoscope has been offering good and outstanding care for 21 years and provides over 70 jobs in York.”

Jill Hodges, assistant director for education and skills at City of York Council, said it was aware of the Ofsted report and recognised the challenges the nursery faced. “We are working closely with Kaleidoscope to ensure that they deliver the necessary improvements which have been identified,” she said.